For years, online marketers have exploited paid ad programs like Google’s Adwords and Yahoo’s Search Marketing to deceive uninformed users to click through paid listings. Shady marketers abuse the loopholes and rely heavily on unsuspecting users as their main source of revenue.
If you don’t know what these paid ads look like, here are examples from Google and Yahoo:
Google Adwords
Yahoo Search Marketing
The examples I show above are legit well-known brands that are using these paid ads the right way. The URL portion of these ads, Amazon.com and www.NexTag.com/electronics are fields, also known as “Display URLs” that the marketer enters.The Display URLs are typically used to inform the user about the site, but if you ask most marketers, they’ll say it’s a great element for Branding and Trust.
The Display URL is different that the “Destination URL” which is the actual landing page the user is sent to upon clicking on the ad.
Now that we are clear on what Paid Ads are, what URLs are and how it works (at a very high level) - you should be able to
The Deception Begins
Marketers have always understood the power of branding - sometimes more so than the brands itself - go figure! So when they found out that you could enter different URLs for display and landing pages, all sorts of evil ideas started forming in the minds of these great deceivers…I mean marketers!! You probably see where this is leading to by now…but if you haven’t, let me state the obvious.
Let’s say I am running a SEM campaign to sell MP3 Players on my site www.deceiving-marketer.com (doesn’t exist at the time of this post). I know that BestBuy.com is a reputable store and online brand. And I want to make the most out of BestBuy’s brand. Let’s not go into the legal crap for now, that’s a whole new can of worms. FOCUS!! So in my display URL, I have BestBuy.com - and to any user, they expect the following landing page after the click on my ad to be directed to BestBuy.com right? Damn straight! But what actually happens after that - they get directed to a strange URL like www.shady-marketer-idea-now.com/mp3-players.html - GASP!
But, since brand association is strangely strong in consumers’ mind, the user will momentarily suspend their belief and associate that damn shady site with BestBuy.com - because? Well, they clicked on an ad that said “BestBuy.com” so whatever site they arrive on HAS TO BE somehow related to BestBuy.com if not the real site.
Buyer Beware
Not to worry. The major search engines have solved that problem by enforcing restrictions and stringent requirements on marketers right? You wish!
I was searching on MSN Live.com for “xbox 360 role playing games” (why I used Live.com still boggles my mind) - but it was a blessing in disguise!!
One of the results under the right hand paid side (Sponsored sites), a particular ad caught my attention!
WTF! BestBuy.com is giving away $1k Gift Card? How awesome is this - especially in these times of financial hardship!! First, it had absolutely nothing to do with my query “xbox 360 role playing games” at all - NONE! ZIP! No relevance! Second, I was suspiciuos - maybe because I used to do this crap? 
Third, I clicked, if nothing else to spend a few cents of this company’s money.
Before I show you what the landing page is - remember what I said about Display URL not matching the Landing Page? Here’s the site it took me to.
YEEHAW!! CONGRATULATIONS! I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!!
So it’s obvious that this site is not the BestBuy.com we all love, and the BestBuy.com that didn’t die and fade away like their competitor CircuitCity.com (Ok that was a low blow).
But have you seen the real BestBuy.com’s site? The color scheme of the fake “bestbuy.com” ad site is amazingly 99% in sync with the real McCoy. See what I mean?
Ah, one thing I should point out on this site posing as bestbuy.com (it’s under some name “bigbrandpromotions.com”), the fine print gets interesting.
Powered by BigBrandPromotions.com. BigBrandPromotions.com is an independent rewards program and not associated with any of the above listed merchants or brands. The above listed merchants or brands in no way endorse or sponsor BigBrandPromotions.com’s offer and are not liable for any alleged or actual claims related to this offer. The above listed trademarks and service marks are the marks of their respective owners. BigBrandPromotions.com is solely responsible for all Gift fulfillment. In order to receive your gift you must: (1) Meet the eligibility requirements (2) complete the rewards bonus survey (3) complete the number of sponsor offers in the redemption instructions (4) Follow redemption instructions.
Obviously this is one of those complete all my affiliate scams - make me some good money - then I’ll send you a best buy gift card scams.
MSN - you guys should be ashamed of yourself allow this to happen. And to the real BestBuy.com - aren’t you guys monitoring who’s bidding on your brands and abusing it?
So why does MSN allow this to happen? Money? Stock price? Recession? If only they cared to explain…
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